Kevin defies the odds

Kevin Webber has refused to let prostate cancer beat him as he prepares for next month’s Brighton Marathon – and the Wimbledon supporter has already raised £13,000 for charity.

Kevin will take time out from training to be a special guest at tomorrow’s match versus Pompey, which has been designed as the club’s match day fixture to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer UK.

In just over three weeks, Kevin Webber will head to the coast to take on the 26-mile challenge at Brighton.

When he signed up for the race, his plan was simple - to beat his personal best of three hours and 48 minutes. Since then, however, a life-altering sequence of events has given him an altogether different target for the race on Sunday, 12 April.

In November 2014, Kevin was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, meaning the disease has spread to other organs in his body and is incurable. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, Kevin (pictured right above with Jim Walker) remains determined to complete the course with his best mate.

Kevin’s incredible efforts against adversity have dovetailed with some staggering fundraising. To date his pot stands in excess of £13,000.

The Men United match day versus Portsmouth will raise money and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK, a cause incredibly close to Kevin’s heart – and, incredibly, a disease connected to the very seat he occupies on a fortnightly basis.

Here is Bank Manager Kevin’s amazing story.

“I started watching Wimbledon when I was about 13 years old, and had a season ticket through all my teenage years. I didn't go as much in my 20s, but I have always been a fan. In about 2003 I met a guy called Brian Goodwin in a business capacity. He had a building development business and agreed that I could meet up at his home to see if my employer could support the next development.

“I turned up at his house and went into the front room and all over the shelves were pictures of him and his sons with Wimbledon players and the FA cup - they were massive fans. We spent the next two hours just talking everything AFC Wimbledon.

“At the end, without really discussing what I could do in a business capacity, he decided that he could work with us moving forward so from then on we were their bank. Brian was also involved in the early years of setting up AFC Wimbledon so people at the club should remember him.

“Through me, the bank sponsored a few games at the club and I invited Brian, who also introduced me to his sons Andy and Chris. By now I was going most weeks to AFC Wimbledon again and we would bump into each other and have a chat as he and his sons had three season tickets.

“Then around 2007, Brian was sadly diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had had a bad back for years but it had recently got worse. After scans the doctors had to tell him he had bad news, prostate cancer had spread to his bones. My understanding is that at that time advancements in knowledge of the disease were not where they are now and he sadly died shortly afterwards.

“At the start of the next season I bumped into Andy and Chris. I still did not have a season ticket and I used to stand. They asked me to sit in their Dad’s seat as he had renewed his season ticket before he died. Every week they would offer and I would accept, and we became good football friends.

“At the end of that season, I asked them if they thought their dad would have minded if I took over his season ticket and they said both they and he would have been pleased. I have had that seat for the last six years.

“Two years later, I bought another season ticket for my father, now 83, who also has prostate cancer, thankfully of a lower grade to mine. The friendship between Andy, Chris and I is football related and we now travel together for some away games. The family and I are delighted that the club are getting behind such a great cause.”